Fruit cutting and pitting table



D. LOW AND w. H. GAVINL mun CUTTING AND FITTING TABLE. APPLICATION FILED IAN. l2. I920.

, 1,364,289, I Patented Jan. 4,1921.

'lllluammll/IIJ WITNESS Awomvgys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID LOW, OF SAN JOSE, AND WILLIAM H. GAVIN, OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS T0 PRATT-130W PRESERVING (30., OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, A.

CORPORATION or cenrronura.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4., 1921.

Application filed. January 12, 1920. Serial No. 350,873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DAVID Low and- VVILLIAM H. GAvIN, citizens of the United States, the said Low residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, and the said GAVIN residing at Santa Clara, county of Santa Clara, State of California, have invented certailn new and useful Improvements in Fruit Cutting and Pitting Tables, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to work-tables of the type used in canneries for the cutting and pitting of fruit.

The object of our invention is to provide a table which enables the operator to work with the greatest possible convenience and speed, and which permits of ready and instant inspection and removal of thefinished product.

Although our table is particularly adapted for cutting and pittijng fruit, such for example as peaches and apricots, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to such use, but is equally applicable units maybe used, all having a common discharge conveyer, as will belater set forth. With this in view the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein: H

Figure I'is a perspective'view showing one complete work-table unit and a portion of an adjacent unit, certain parts being shown in dottedlines for thesake of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates suitable supporting legs which may be arranged in any desired manner. The top of the table, which is supported by said legs 1, is divided into three adjacent sections, as shown in Fig. l, a receiving sect1on 2, a work section 3, and a discharge section 4. It is intejnded that the operator shall stand or sit'in front of the central work section .3, having the receiving section 2 on i118 left and the discharge section a on his right.

The receiving section 2 is provided with a pair of spaced guide rails, 5, preferably formed .of angle iron, whose forward portioins are tilted downwardly, as at 6, and

a transversely disposed roller .6 is provided at the junction of the inclined and horizontal portions of said rails. Said rails are so spaced as to receive and form a track for the standard lug-boxes used in the plant for receiving and bringing in the un-cut fruit, said boxes being placed on said rails preferably by an attendant passing behind the table. The lug-box 7 containing the fruit which is being cut is drawn forward over the rollerfi' on to the tilted portion ".6 of said track, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to be within easy reach of the operator, and asecond full box, inot shown, can then be placed on the rear horizontal portion of said track.

The discharge section 4 is also provided witha track 8, Figs. 1 and '3, preferably formed of spaced angle irons, and uponthis track rests a bottomless container or inspection ,cage 9. At the rear portion of said discharge section is a hopper 10 formed in the table top, leading into a discharge trough 11. A suitable .conveyer,here showtu as an endless belt 12,operates continuously in the bottom of said trough. The trough 11 and the .conveyer belt :12, positioned transversely of the tab-lent the rear and belowthe top thereof, are common to an .the'imits' of jeachiseries, and may or may not be .sup-

ported by said units. In the form herewith illustrated, all units of a series are built together as ofne long .structure,.which supports the trough and the .conveyer-be'lt, The return run 13 of the conveyer belt is preferably positioned below the trough 11 and carried upon suitable sheaves or rollers 14.

The operator removes the fruit from the box 7 with his left hand, cutsand pits it over thecentral section 3 of the table, allowing the pit to fall upon said central table section, and deposits the cut fruit in the inspection cage 9 at his right, said cage then occupying a position at the front of the table section 4, whereby the table itself forms the bottom of the cage. V'Vhen said cage is full, or contains as much out and pitted fruit as is desired, it is pushed rearwardly to a po sition in the center of the'discharge section 4, and a second empty inspection cage is placed on the forward portion of said section 4L. The fruit in the first cage is then inspected by the proper attendant, and if found satisfactory said cage is by him moved over the hopper 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, thus allowing the fruit to fall onto the discharge conveyer 12, by means of which it is removed to any suitable place of deposit not shown in the drawings.

Thus the operator is constantly supplied with un-cut fruit at his left, and the cut fruit is constantly removed from his right, so that he need not be delayed in his work to wait, either for a fresh supply or for the removal of the cut fruit. Moreover, the tracks 5 and 8 insure that the positions of the fresh supply and the cut fruit container will always be the same, so that the operator is never confused by the necessity of reaching to different positions.

We claim:

1. A work-table for fruit-cutters having a work section and a discharge section with an aperture formed in one end thereof; spaced rails forming a track positioned upon the discharge section and straddling said aperture; a bottomless container for receiving the cut fruit positioned upon the track of said discharge section and adapted to be moved into registry with said aperture for discharging the cut fruit therethrough;

and means for removing the cut fruit from beneath said aperture.

2. A work-table for fruit-cutters having a work section and a discharge section with an aperture formed in one end thereof; spaced rails forming a track positioned upon the discharge section and straddling said aperture; a bottomless container for re ceiving the cut fruit positioned upon said track and adapted to be moved into registry with said aperture for discharging the cut fruit therethrough; a discharge trough positioned beneath said aperture; and conveyer means within said-trough for removing the out fruit.

3. A work-table for fruit-cutters havinga downwardly inclined receiving section adapted to support a container for the fruit to be cut, a work section, and a discharge section with an aperture formed in one end thereof; spaced rails forming a track positioned upon the discharge section and straddling said aperture; a bottomless container for receiving the cut fruit positioned upon the track of said discharge section and adapted to be moved into registry with said aperture for discharging the cut fruit there through; and means for removing the cut fruit from beneath said aperture.

4:. A work-table for fruit-cutting having a receiving section, a work section, and a dis charge section with an aperture formed in one end thereof; spaced rails forming a track positioned upon the receiving sectlon for supporting a container for the frult to be cut, the forward portion being inclined downwardly; spaced rails forming a track positioned upon the discharge section and straddling said aperture; a bottomless container for receiving the cut fruit positioned upon the track of said discharge section and adapted to be moved into registry with said aperture for discharging the cut fruit therethrough; and means for removing the cut fruit from beneath said aperture.

5. A work-table for fruit-cutters having a central work section with a receiving section on oneside and a discharge section on the other side, said discharge section having an aperture formed in the rear portion thereof and said receiving section being downwardly inclined at its forward portion; spaced rails forming a track positioned upon the receiving section for supporting containers for the fruit to be cut; spaced rails forming a track positioned upon the discharge section and straddling said aperture; a bottomless container for receiving the cut fruit positioned upon the track of said discharge section and adapted to be moved into registry with said aperture for discharging the cut fruit therethrough; and. means for removing the out fruit from beneath said aperture.

6. A work-table for fruit-cutters comprising aseries of spaced work sections separated by receiving and discharge sections, there being a receiving section on one side of each work section and a discharge section on the other, and each discharge section having an aperture formed at the rear portion thereof; tracks positioned upon the receiving and discharge sections for supporting containers for the fruit, the tracks of the discharge sections straddling said apertures; bottomless containers for receiving the cut fruit positioned upon the tracks of the discharge sections and adapted to be moved into registry with said apertures for discharging the cut fruit therethrough; a common discharge trough positioned beneath said apertures for receiving the cut fruit therefrom; and conveyer means operating within said trough for removing the cut fruit.

7. A work-table for fruit-cutters having a discharge section with an aperture formed in one portion thereof; and a bottomless container for receiving the cut fruit, said container normally resting upon the unapertured portion of said section and adapted to be moved thereon into registry with the aperture therein, whereby the cut fruit is discharged through said aperture.

8. A work-table for fruit-cutters having a discharge section with an aperture formed in one portion thereof; a bottomless container for receiving the cut fruit, said con tainer normally resting upon the unapertured portion of said section and adapted to be moved thereon into registry with the aperture therein, whereby the cut-fruit is discharged through said aperture, and means underlying said aperture for receiving and removing the discharged fruit.

9. A work-table for fruit-cutters having an inclined receiving section adapted to sup port a container for the fruit to be cut, a discharge section with an aperture formed in one portion thereof, and a work section lying between the receiving and the discharge sections; and a bottomless container for receiving the cut fruit, said bottomless container normally resting upon the upapertured portion of the discharge section and adapted to be moved thereon into registry with the aperture therein, whereby the cut fruit is discharged throughsaid aperture.

10. A work-table for fruit-cutters having an inclined receiving section adapted to support a container for the fruit to be out, a discharge section with an aperture formed in one portion thereof, and a work section lying between the receiving and the discharge sections; a bottomless container for receiving the cut fruit, said bottomless container normally resting upon the unapertured portion of the discharge section and adapted to be moved thereon into registry with the aperture therein, whereby the cut fruit is discharged through said aperture; and a traveling conveyer underlying said aperture, to receive and remove the cut fruit.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID LOW. WILLIAM H. GAVIN. Witnesses:

F. R. BROWN, J. A. KRELING. 

